Own a copy of F1 2013 on Xbox 360? Really wish you could race online with clean drivers? Want to develop rivalries and experience the highs and lows of a Formula 1 season? Well.. what are you waiting for? Come and join us for Season 5 of the critically acclaimed F1 FANATIC XBOX CHAMPIONSHIP!

We’ve had four thrilling seasons – full of exciting closely fought racing. That’s all down to the good bunch of racers we have! We welcome anyone who wants to become part of the crew! We also have casual sprint races every now and again.

Below is a video from the first race of last season. If you want to see more, click on the the actual youtube page link and go to my season 4 playlist in my account.

Want to be part of this championship? We race on Monday evenings where lobby invites are sent around 8.20pm (BST). Qualifying starts at 8.30pm (BST). The First race starts on Monday 28 October.

HOW TO JOIN

Please post with your preferred team choice. You can choose from the remaining seats in the driver list below. Places will be available on a first come, first serve basis. Please also include your Xbox gamertag. We’ll get back to you to confirm your entry.

Can’t make it every week? Not a problem! Every driver will have to drop their 2 lowest scores (if they have attended every race or not), so you can afford to miss 2 races and you wouldn’t lose out all that much. This is used to ensure that drivers aren’t unfairly disadvantaged in the championship standings if they miss a few races. More information on this (and all the other rules) is provided below.

We look forward to racing with you! :-)

THE DRIVERS

Although 24 Seats are available, only 16 are permitted in an online race. Drivers from Season 4 were given first priority and got to choose their cars in the order in which they finished the previous championship.

Race Stewards
The race stewards will consist of a panel of three drivers – MadDogMolloy plus two others on a rotation basis. A driver cannot appear on the panel if they have been involved in the race incident itself or are at a similar position in the championship standings to the driver being investigated The race stewards have the power to look at any incidents or cases of reckless driving that have happened on track.

Penalties incurred in the race will count. If you get a time penalty in the game (through cutting corners, using the car in front as a brake board etc.) and would like to appeal the race result, you MUST lodge an appeal in the lobby after the race. It will not be overturned unless you or another driver can provide video evidence proving that you have been given a time penalty unfairly, and the panel agrees.

Racing
Clean with real-life F1 rules taken into account. i.e. if you move to defend and then move back take your racing line, room must be left for the other car in the braking zone. Drivers are free to report incidents they have witnessed of reckless and dirty driving. Players will be docked points if they constantly break the rules.

Points System
We are going to be using the same points system as used in the game (and in real life).

There will be times when one cannot make the event due to other commitments. So it has been decided that we will use the ‘drop lowest score’ rule. This has been used successfully in previous seasons. Basically a driver’s lowest two results over the course of the season will be dropped. It will give everyone a two free races that they could miss without destroying their championship hopes. Otherwise it undermines the whole point of having a championship and we might as well have one-off races.

To score points you MUST finish the race. If you disconnect before the race has ended you will score no points (even if you were in a points scoring position with only 10 or less cars left in the race).

Headset usage
If you have a microphone, you’re welcome to use it but please keep keep comments to a minimum. Please feel free to create a private party for you and your teammate to discuss pit stops, race strategy etc.

Note regarding Connection Issues
If a third or more of the field drops out in the first 5 minutes of qualifying, the session is restarted. If the host is having connection problems or if there is significant lag, a new host can be tried for the restart. This can only happen once per race.

If there is a mass disconnection (a third or more of the field) before 75% distance, the race can be restarted as though there was a red flag. We will start another race in a new lobby (with the distance set to roughly how long the race had left to run), and on Lap 1, we all get ourselves into the race order at the red flag point, with the leader acting as the Safety Car. On Lap 2, we continue racing. If anyone can’t make it (time-wise or is having trouble connecting), then the race will be ended and points awarded for however far the race has progressed, ie, half points for under 75%, full points for over. If anyone fails to comply to getting into the correct order, they will disqualified and given a race ban.

Note regarding absences
Races can only be moved to a different date or time if everyone agrees. If the host cannot make it or is not online at the race time, then a substitute will host the race and it will go ahead as usual. No individual is bigger than the series.

Drivers unable to make a round of the championship will not be penalised if they notify the others of their absence prior to that Round taking place. Drivers who do not turn up to multiple races without notifying in advance may have their place in the Championship offered to a reserve.

We will use the same method as we have used for the last few seasons. Everyone picks their top 3 team preferences. (1 being the preferred, 2 next best etc.) Seats will then be distributed according to championship position in season 4. So, the defending champion @lemon gets first pick. Further down the order, if a driver whose first option is at a team which is full then we implement their 2nd option. If their 2nd option is taken we use their 3rd option.

Want to work with a specific teammate? You need to declare this alongside your team preferences. When your seat is designated, if there are 2 seats available at your first choice team, both drivers will take them. If there is only 1 available, the second choice team will be used, then third choice etc.

As discussed in the previous forum, you will have the opportunity to vote for the races that you would like to see in each of the next three seasons. Please post your three favourite circuits alongside your team preferences. Please note that Imola and Estoril are exempt from votes, as they are only included on the Classic Edition of the game. The top 9 circuits will be used with the remaining slots being taken up by the other circuits.

– The number of races drops from 20 to 13. The most popular races will appear on the calendar (for this and the following two seasons) and the remaining circuits will be spread across seasons 5,6 and 7.
– All races will now be at 50% race distance. No more races at 100% length.
– There won’t be any designated dry races due to a different game being used.
– In line with the shortened calendar, the number of dropped scores decreases to two.
– Inclusion of classic 80’s circuits – Jerez and Brands Hatch.
– Slight change in the wording of the ‘Race Stewards’ section of the rules. Video footage will be needed to overturn any penalties.

If you disagree with any of the changes please let me know!

Also if you have good quality footage of an exciting past race, let me know and I’ll post it at the top of this forum for newcomers to see! You never know – your race may ultimately decide if someone joins or not! We always need new racers!

I’ll be holding some sprint races this Monday in preparation for the new season if anyone is interested? Let me know if you can make it! I’ll let you know exact time on the day.

Glad to see the new forum up. Might want to vote on tracks quickly lol if we only have a week.

Track preferences:
1. Brands Hatch
I had a go at Brands, with the intention of doing a few laps before moving on to the other classics. I was there an hour, still trying to shave time off. This is the best circuit on the game by a mile.

2. Monaco
This monster street circuit will always get a vote from me.

3. Belgium
If a few people are to be making their final appearances during the next three seasons, I’m sure they’d prefer to have more than one crack at Spa. If it weren’t for its ineligibility, then I would put Imola here. Hope we get to do it though!

Was tempted to vote Abu Dhabi as it is one of my favourites when you can hook the final sector up properly, but it is similar to most of Tilke’s others so voted for something more unique and probably popular.

Now, Lemon being a big Lewis Hamilton fan, you can imagine that he had considered a switch of teams when he moved to Mercedes. Me being a McLaren fan (as well as a fan of British drivers yes), I admittedly considered staying (if anything, to improve the competition of the teams’ standings).

However, as tempted as I was by the possibility of battling Lemon as just a rival and not a team-mate (would be fun lol), I have – assuming he is doing this season – decided to remain on his team, and he wants to move to Mercedes.

So providing Mark doesn’t mind as I believe he has been at Merc since he first started racing, both Lemon and I will be choosing Mercedes as our first choice.

The preparations for Season 5 have barely begun but that hasn’t stopped Season 4 runner-up JonBoy507. The Brit has put pen to paper in a one-season deal with Mercedes GP.

However, in a sensational twist, sources reveal exclusively to F1fanatic.com, that four- time champion Herbert Lemon is set to pair up with him again for the new Xbox season.

Rumours are circulating that Lemon would relish a new challenge after a successful three-year spell with McLaren. Mercedes seem the obvious choice under the guise of Ross Brawn and former McLaren Technical Director Paddy Lowe.

This would reunite Lemon with his current teammate JonBoy507. Lemon is understood to be keen to work with his greatest rival again for the new season which would put Mercedes in a perfect position to win their first championship.

Where this leaves ms20 is unknown and Mercedes GP have declined to comment when pressed earlier today. Ms20 who finished 3rd in last season’s championship has been a loyal servant to Mercedes since his debut in season 2 and many teams will be keeping a close eye on proceedings as they develop over the course of the next week.

Well, looking foreword to a new season and on a new game
Myself and @ljkobrien have come to the conclusion that we will be keeping our newly formed and rather successful partnership from last season, and as far as I know, we both agreed to go for the Mclaren spot this season as our preferred choice.
So my team preferences are
1: Mclaren
2:Ferrari
3:Force India

Tracks:
1: Aswell as @jonny705 i have loved racing around brands hatch in both classics and the modern cars so this has to be my top track this year.
2: Sau Paulo has to be in my top 3
3: Monza

Following strong rumours earlier today, Lemon has confirmed that he will be following his main rival and teammate JonBoy507 to Mercedes GP. The team look set to enjoy a stellar championship campaign with the best driver partnership on the grid.

There were some concerns however, when Lemon revealed that he is yet to participate in any form of pre-season testing. With the league’s third generation car making its debut next Monday, Lemon may be At a slight disadvantage which is bound to give his challengers some hope for the new season.

Almost immediately after the Mercedes GP driver line-up was locked-down, ms20 announced he was leaving Mercedes to join forces with Mastermind Adrian Newey at Infiniti Red Bull Racing. This is the first time that the driver has switched teams in his career so it may take a while for him to get used to his new surroundings. With ms20, Red Bull look set to have their best ever season. However the identify of a possible teammate is yet unknown. UPDATE: Red Bull are fuming after ms20 has immediately snubbed them for underdogs Marussia F1. The team’s sole appearance to date was a successful 5th place in last season’s Bahrain Grand Prix (with Clappy91), but it looks like they have the funds required to race full-time this season. More news when we have it.

Sources indicate that McLaren have reacted immediately to the departure of their drivers and are looking at a number of drivers including Odin’s Revenge and Lt Alfred. Matin Whitmarsh declined to comment when pressed earlier today.

@maddogmolloy: “Almost immediately after the Mercedes GP driver line-up was locked-down, ms20 announced he was leaving Mercedes to join forces with Mastermind Adrian Newey at Infiniti Red Bull Racing. This is the first time that the driver has switched teams in his career so it may take a while for him to get used to his new surroundings. With ms20, Red Bull look set to have their best ever season. However the identify of a possible teammate is yet unknown. UPDATE: Red Bull are fuming after ms20 has immediately snubbed them for underdogs Marussia F1. The team’s sole appearance to date was a successful 5th place in last season’s Bahrain Grand Prix (with Clappy91), but it looks like they have the funds required to race full-time this season. More news when we have it.“

I lol’d.

I can confirm Lemon is already doing some practice for Australia. I’ll laugh if it’s not the first track lol.